Third rail for electric railways.



No. 763,364. PATEKTED JUNE 28.1904.

' J. CAESAR.

THIRD RAIL FOR. ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR f6 I 0 C aesaf UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

JACOB CAESAR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THIRD RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,364, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed March 2, 1903. Serial No. 145,752. (No model.)

York, in the county of New York and State of' New York, have invented a new and useful Third Rail for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric railways, and has for its object to provide a third rail therefor with the contact part protected'from sleet and snow, a further object being to provide a rail of this kind which will be comparatively cheap to manufacture and which can be easily mounted in position.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a transverse view of a rail constructed according to my invention, a support therefor, and a brake-shoe in contact therewith.

The several parts of my invention are indicated by numerals of reference, and in practice I provide a third rail 5, consisting of a body portion 6 of considerable thickness with the contact-surface 7 on the under side thereof protected by depending flanges 8 and 9, which are preferably integral with the body portion 6 of the rail and also preferably flaring therefrom, so that the rail in cross-section is similar in form to a truncated A with the under side of the cross-bar as the contact-surface of the rail.

7 In mounting the rail in position I prefer to use standards 10, which may be mounted on insulating-blocks 11, resting on sleepers 12, leaving ample space for the rod 13, carrying the contact shoe 14, the rod 13 being connected with the motor in any convenient manner. As the flanges of the rail are flaring, the contact-shoe 14: will be held normally free from contact with the same except as they may come in contact therewith in passing around a curve or in being elevated into contact with the rail, and as there is a flange on each side there is no danger of the shoe slipping off the rail or of failing to bring the shoe into con- I tact with the rail.

By this construction of rail the contact-surface and shoe are protected from rain, snow, and sleet, so that there is no danger of ice accumulating on the contact-surface, and the rail can be rolled as easily and cheaply as the ordinary T-rail, and the only extra expense in mounting isthe standards 10. By making the flanges flaring the supports or standards connect with the same at an angle to the contact-surface of the rail, thereby carrying the body part of the standard farther from the rail and the guideway to the contact-surface will be wider than with vertical flanges, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A third-rail system for electric railways comprising a rail having a heavy body portion adapted to carry the current, and flaring dependent flanges, a shoe adapted to contact with the under side of said body portion intermediate of said flanges, and insulated supports secured to one of said flanges, the body of said supports being held at a substantial distance from the vertical plane of the body portionof said rail, for the purpose set forth.

2. A third-rail system for electric railways comprising a rail having a heavy body portion adapted to carry the current, and flaring, dependent flanges, a shoe adapted to contact with the underside of said body portion intermediate of said flanges, and insulated supports having angled ends connected with one of said flanges, whereby the body portions of said supports are held at a substantial distance from the vertical plane of the body portion of said rail, for the purpose set forth.

3. A third-rail system for electric railways comprising a rail having a contact-surface on the under side thereof and flaring integral flanges shielding said surface, insulated supports having angled ends, and bolts securing said angled ends to one of said flanges, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 4

JACOB CAESAR. Witnesses:

J. M. CUMMING, G. P. VAN WYE. 

